In an era of infinite information and digital noise, combined with the mounting stress of coursework, Craig Colorusso’s Sun Boxes offer a rare respite for students: a space to slow down, listen and just be.
Travelling around NC State’s campus from April 8-28, Meditation with Sun Boxes intertwines STEM, art and nature into an immersive music experience for students to unwind as they prepare for the end of the semester. Check out the Sun Boxes traveling exhibit schedule and locations here. This exhibit was made possible through a collaboration with the artist, the Gregg Museum, Centennial Campus Placemaking, NC State University Libraries and State of the Sciences Week.
What started in 2008 as an idea for a desert installation quickly became a traveling artwork that has visited 32 states and 50 cities and even touched audiences internationally in Dubai. Sun Boxes began with a simple question: what if music could break the boundary between the audience and the performer?
As Colorusso began conceptualizing his vision for Sun Boxes, his community of musicians and friends gifted in circuit boards and solar technology came together to create what the Sun Boxes have become today. Growing up surrounded by the punk rock scene, Colorusso developed an affinity for music early on and continues experimenting with sound, once even creating a music experience using offset printers with percussion and guitar to explore the interaction between art and the machine. His knack for creating immersive experiences like this has continued with his Moon Pod, and, most recently, Sun Boxes.
The director of the Gregg Museum, Sara Segerlin, first met Colorusso during a series of outdoor art events, and went on to collaborate together for more than a decade in Northwest Arkansas. Throughout this time, Segerlin noted Colorusso’s humility in both his artistic work and his ability to adapt to unconventional spaces, such as fitting into a Skyspace created by artist James Turrell, or building a light and sound tunnel on Arkansas’ bike greenway.
Colorusso is a natural listener, engaging with community groups, artists and visitors to public parks, many of whom leave his installations feeling inspired and curious for more. Colorusso has received top recognition including the highest award at Art Fields in 2014. Segerlin expressed her excitement about Colorusso’s engagement with the entire NC State campus, “I’m particularly looking forward to the contrast between his work and the Reds & Whites by renowned artist Larry Bell and the “Sunnies” during Colorusso’s jam session at the Susan Woodson Public Art Plaza at Centennial Campus.”
The boxes’ mechanism is fairly simple, “the only variable is the volume, so more sun equals more power equals more volume,” Colorusso noted. Sun Boxes comprises 20 of these boxes, each producing a different note played on a guitar, recorded by Colorusso himself. The array of sound allows for the audience to wander within it and discover differing soundscapes as the clouds, sun and environment slowly shift around them. While the volume is loud enough to engulf each participant, the sounds of traffic, leaves crunching and bird calls still intertwine with the melody of the boxes.
Outside of the sonic immersion the boxes create, Colorusso has also noticed that Sun Boxes foster an environment for community and conversation. In collaboration with Centennial Campus Placemaking and NC State University Libraries, the Sun Boxes bring together communities from all corners of the university.
Commenting on this sense of togetherness, Kirsten Page, associate teaching professor of musicology, says, “Colorusso’s Sun Boxes provides a rare opportunity to make community and kin not only with other listeners, but with the environment, too.”
Jude DesNoyer, the director of Centennial Campus placemaking, noticed this as well, noting that, “Craig’s work bridges scholarship and playfulness. It provides opportunities for deep thought and chaotic interaction. These meaningful moments are shared by all, and we are excited to bring the community together to celebrate Sun Boxes at NC State.”
Colorusso’s intention behind the Sun Boxes was exactly this- to create a safe space for bonding and community.
“Being an adult is a lonely place; people have no one to tell their stories to. Sun Boxes create a place where people not only listen to each other, but can feel alive and breathe,” he explained.
Colorusso hopes that students can enjoy the experience with open minds and let the Sun Boxes take them on their own personal, wonderful journey.
Colorusso envisions Sun Boxes as a response to the Ernest Hemingway quote: “In our darkest moments, we don’t need solutions or advice. What we yearn for is simply human connection — a quiet presence, a gentle touch.”
With rotating locations at the Gregg Museum of Art & Design, Centennial Campus Placemaking and NC State Libraries, Sun Boxes bring a unique immersion students can experience as they walk across campus.
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